DSS Witness Reveals: Suspected ISWAP Terrorists Paid and Mobilised for 2022 Owo Church Massacre

 

A senior Department of State Services (DSS) investigator on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the suspects accused in the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, were deliberately funded, armed, and mobilised by their handlers.

Testifying as the 9th prosecution witness under a protective identity (coded as SSI), the deputy director in charge of terrorism investigations—who led the DSS probe into the incident—detailed how the attackers, linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), executed the assault that left at least 41 worshippers dead and over 140 injured during a Pentecost Sunday Mass.

According to the witness, intelligence and technical tracking traced the perpetrators to an ISWAP cell operating across Okene and Adavi Local Government Areas in Kogi State, as well as Omielafa and Omielege in Ose LGA of Ondo State. The cell was coordinated by a commander known as "Odoba," who issued direct orders to strike the church on a Sunday with the specific intent to kill the presiding priest.

The witness narrated that planning culminated in a key meeting on May 30, 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, where defendant Al-Qasim Idris and others were briefed. Subsequently, arms—including five AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, live ammunition, and explosive devices—were supplied. One defendant allegedly hired a Volkswagen Golf vehicle to facilitate logistics.

"Our investigation established that the arrested persons are members of ISWAP, a proscribed terrorist group," the witness stated, emphasizing that payments were made to motivate and sustain the operatives.

The five defendants—Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47)—face charges related to terrorism, murder, and conspiracy. Previous testimonies from other DSS witnesses and an Ondo Amotekun operative have corroborated identifications of some defendants at the scene, including close-range gunfire exchanges during their escape.

The prosecution, led by counsel including Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), continues to present evidence, including photographs from the crime scene admitted as exhibits.

The Owo attack remains a stark reminder of escalating terrorism threats in Nigeria's Southwest, previously considered relatively peaceful compared to the Northeast and Northcentral regions. The trial underscores ongoing efforts to hold perpetrators accountable amid broader security challenges.

Court proceedings continue, with further testimonies expected.